The Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeyemi Matthew Adeniyi, has claimed he was surprised to discover that the controversial agency was included in the Federal Government’s budget despite his arrest before the appropriation process was concluded.
Adeniyi made the claims during an interview with social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a video released after his arrest.
During the interview, he absolved the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any involvement in the agency’s reported N1.3 billion budgetary allocation, insisting that he personally handled efforts to secure its inclusion in the national budget.
According to him, he approached officials at the Budget Office in December 2024 to push for the agency’s inclusion in the 2025 Appropriation Bill but was informed that the budget process had already been concluded.
“I went to the Budget Office for the 2025 budget. I submitted my letter and everything I wanted, but they told me it was already too late,” he said.
Adeniyi explained that after the 2025 budget was passed without the agency being captured, officials allegedly assured him that the proposal would instead be considered for the 2026 budget.
He further claimed that a female official helped him gain access to the office of the Director-General of the Budget Office before he was referred to another senior official.
According to him, the official reportedly informed him that the agency could no longer be accommodated in the 2025 budget but promised that efforts would continue ahead of the 2026 appropriation process.
Responding to questions about whether he paid any Budget Office officials to facilitate the process, Adeniyi denied offering cash, saying he only promised to assist with employment opportunities if the agency eventually became operational.
“Honestly, I did not pay anybody. The only thing I promised was that if I started employing people, I could help them with employment opportunities,” he said.
He added that every effort to secure the agency’s inclusion came to an end immediately after his arrest, saying he was shocked to later hear that the agency eventually appeared in the budget.
“I didn’t even know until they said it was inside the budget. I had already left the office. Why would I still pursue the budget when I was already facing court?” he asked.
When asked how the agency eventually made its way into the budget, Adeniyi said he had no explanation, insisting he abandoned the process after his legal troubles began.
The embattled PFIPC boss also addressed allegations that he paid N400 million to facilitate his appointment, claiming the money was delivered in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola.
However, he admitted he could not confirm whether the money eventually got to Gbajabiamila.
Adeniyi also maintained that he never met the President’s Chief of Staff in person at any point before or after his appointment.
“I never met Gbajabiamila physically before and after he was appointed. Dolapo Tanimola handled everything for me,” he said.
Watch the video below;
He insisted that Tanimola acted as the intermediary throughout the process while he personally handled discussions with Budget Office officials regarding the proposed agency.
Submit a Press Release | Advertise With Fresh News | Contact Us
